Oil flash tester



y 1940- F. H. WYIGHT 2,201,708

OIL FLASH TESTER Filed May 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet l Ennentor By rank HJAJI' fiimx F. H. WIGHT 2,201,708

OIL FLASH TESTER Filed May 9, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I I. I ale w A 10/ will 0 l'mnentor I m. franH H.w|'9hl'.

E "a: attorney Patented May 21, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE on. FLASH TESTER- Iowa Application May 9, 1938, Serial No. 206,715

1 Claim.

This invention relates to an oil testing apparatus of the class employing ignition of-gas generated by heating the 011130 be tested.

The invention has for its object, broadly, to

provide a testing device consisting of few. parts assembled to occupy a limited space as a feature of convenience in use and portability, said device to include a cup or small container for oil, a heating agent for the oil, a visible heat-indicating agent and an ignition element, said parts to be arranged for speedy operation in testing the condition or quality of the oil.

Since lubricating oil for mechanical bearings in factories or for motor vehicles, becomes worn during use and is exposed to an intake of gasoline and other deleterious substances, it becomes volatile in a greater or lesser degree and becomes proportionately less effective as a lubricant.

Since it has been ascertained that theuse of lubricating oil which will generate ignitable gas while subjected to only 150 F. degrees or less of heat is not practical but generally results in undue wear or injury to the bearings, and since the better grades of lubricants will not generate g5 ignitablegas unless subjected to 350 to 500 degrees F. of heat, it has been found to be of advantage as a matter of safety and expediency to make tests and avoid the use of inferior lubricants.

30 The invention consists of the new and useful construction, combination and arrangement of parts as described herein and claimed, and as shown in the drawings, it being understood that changes may be made inform, size, proportions,

5 and minor details of construction, said changes being within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the drawings, Fig. 1 is an end view of the oil tester and Fig. 2 is a front view of the same.

4:0 Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view in section showing an oil cup provided with a heater or stove, together with parts of a heat-indicating agent and a spark-gap for igniting gas, and Fig. 4 is a plan view of the same, a support being 45 shown upon which said parts are mounted.

Fig. 5 shows a diagram for electrical circuits employed.

Referring now to the drawings for a more particular description, the invention is shown 50 and described in connection with a support 5, preferably constructed of metal, upon which the several parts of the oil tester are mounted, said support having any suitable form and size for convenient use.

5 In operation, the lubricating oil to be tested is placed in an oil cup 6, said cup being removably mounted in the apertured, horizontal part of an L-shaped metallic bracket 1 which is mounted upon the vertical part of the support, said cup being provided with a collar or flaring part '8 at '5 its upper end, and in practice the cup may have an upward sliding movement in the aperture of the bracket for removal therefrom, to permit removal of tested oil, the weight of thecup being supported by the bracket 1 while engaged by the Pin flaring part 8 of said cup.

A thermometer is indicated at 9, adapted to register 500 degrees F. of heat, and is slidably mounted for vertical movements on a bracket ill carried by the vertical wall of the supportyand it will be understood that the thermometer may be moved downwardly into the cup to permit speedy registration of the heated oil in the cup, and may have upward sliding movements to permit removal of the cup from the bracket '5.

Numerals ll indicate hinges provided for a swingable wing I2 at the top of the support'5, and therefore if desired, this protective wing may be moved to unobtrusive positionto permit free 'vertical reciprocation of the thermometer. 1,535

Arrangements are made for heating the oil to 500 degrees F. or to lesser degrees of heat .suflicient to generate gas, and for this purpose I provide a stove or air-tight container [3 for an electrical resistor coil [4, and as shown in Fig. -3, the metallic frame of the thermometer may engage the top of the heating element l3.

This container 13 is of cylindrical form and is disposed centrally of the cup, and is provided with an insulated bottom -!3', a'nd the heating is accomplished by use of an electrical circuit which-includes two electrical conductors i5 and I6 leadingto a plug H.

In the use of the apparatusany ordinary electrical service line I8 may beemployed, and since heat up to approximately 500 degrees is desired for testing purposes, a transformer i9 is used 21... is electrically grounded as indicated at 20.

Leading from the service line IE to the transformer are the electrical conductors 2| and 22, 5 the conductor 2|. being provided with a fuse 23, shown in Fig. 5 of the drawings and located in a fuse-box 24' (Fig. 2).

Numeral 25 indicates a switch-box provided with an electrical socket 26, and as shown in Fig. 5 an electrical conductor 21 leads from the socket 25 to the conductor 2!, and another conductor 28 leads from said socket to the electrical conductor 22.

The switch-box 25 is provided with a switch 29',

for a control of the electrical circuit which includes the conductors 2|, 22 and the transformer 19 and when this switch is closed the oil in the cup 6 may become heated for generating gas after the plug I! has been inserted in the socket 26.

As best shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, the horizontal part of the bracket 5 is provided with a forwardly projecting arm 29, the front end of said arm having a loop 30 which provides a bear-- ing for a horizontal shaft 3| mounted to permit rocking movements in said loop subject to the action of a spring 32 which operates as a detent to prevent undue vibration or rotation of the shaft.

This shaft 3! is constructed of rubber or other insulating material and is provided with a pair of metallic fingers 33 and 34 of approximately U-shape, said angular fingers being disposed in spaced relation and each secured at one of its ends to the shaft, the opposite ends of said fingers being of such form that they converge toward each other, their free pointed ends forming a spark-gap a: when the fingers are electrically energised.

Numeral 35 indicates an electrical conductor leading to the finger 33 from the transformer l9, and the finger 3 is provided with a short arm 35 which operates as an electrical conductor and may be grounded as indicated at 3'! in Fig. 5 of the drawings.

This arm 36 is disposed at a suitable angle to the finger 34 and is adapted to engage the horizontal part of the metallic bracket i when the shaft 3! is rotated in one direction and said engagement operates as an electrical grounding for the conductor 35 when a spark or flash occurs.

The shaft may be manually rotated in one direction for moving the U-shaped fingers to sparking position with their free pointed ends within the cup, and by manual control the shaft may be rotated in a reverse direction to dispose the fingers in stationary position forwardly of the cup as shown by dotted lines in Fig. l of the drawings.

The operation for testing oil is very simple. After the fingers have been swung outwardly of the cup, a small quantity of oil to be tested may be placed in the cup. The shaft 3| may then be rotated to cause the short arm 36 to engage the bracket 1 and to cause the fingers to swing a limited distance into the cup. The operator may then adjust the slidably mounted thermometer so that it will be disposed in operative proximity to the heater or stove l3, and after the plug H has been inserted in the electrical socket 25 the switch 29 may be closed.

After these arrangements have been made the oil will speedily become heated. The gas generated by action of the heat will flash by operation of the spark-gap. If ignition of the gas occurs at degrees or less of heat such oil is unfit for use. Also if a flash occurs at a registration slightly above 120 degrees, such indication may operate as a warning so that a timely change of oils may be made to avoid injury to the bearings.

The use of the herein described apparatus will be appreciated by users of all kinds of motor vehicles for the reason that the appearance upon inspection or usual feel of lubricating oil when worked between the thumb and finger of a person attempting to test its quality is a matter of uncertainty and often leads to injury.

In the use of the apparatus, the better grades of lubricating oil will not generate ignitable gas until a heat of 450 degrees thereof has been attained. Other grades of oil are of lesser efficiency as lubricants, and the apparatus may be used to advantage by jobbers when selecting oil for purchases as well as by owners of garages or filling stations, and by individuals in testing and avoiding unsafe lubricants.

While I have shown and described specific details as a means for generating and igniting gas and testing heat, it will be understood that the invention does not depend upon exactness in this respect, but must include such a mounting for the oil cup that it may be conveniently supplied with oil, and that oil, when tested, may be removed, also the means for applying heat in the cup for registration at the high degree mentioned, must be effective. the apparatus will be practical, the heat-indicating element must have such a mounting that it will be effectively exposed to the heating agent and may be readily inspected.

While I have shown a support 5 provided with a hingeably mounted wing l2, it will be seen that no claim is made for these features, and I may use any suitable structure upon which necessary operating parts may be mounted.

I claim as my invention An oil tester apparatus comprising, in combination with an electrically grounded support and -a container for oil to be tested on the support,

means for applying heat to the oil, and a temperature-indicating member moved for exposure to the heated oil, a horizontal spring-controlled shaft in bearings on said support, an insulated electrically energised finger carried by the shaft, a second finger carried by the shaft, said second finger being insulated and of metallic construction and provided with a contact-arm, said shaft being rotatable in one direction for moving the fingers into the container to spark-gap position, the arm of the second finger moving into contact with the electrically grounded support to permit the operation of testing the oil, said shaft being rotatable in an opposite direction for moving said fingers to inoperative position.

FRANK H. WIGHT.

Also, in order that arranged to be 

